This is a collaborative study with Dr. John A. Widness, the Associate Program Director of the GCRC at the University of Iowa and Drs. Stevenson and Madan at Stanford who all have a long-standing interest in anemia. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the use of an ex-vivo monitoring device, the VIA Low Volume Mode ( LVM ) Monitor, can prevent anemia and therefore reduce the blood transfusion rate in premature infants below a birthweight of 1000 grams ( VLBW ), compared to those who get conventional laboratory testing. Improvement will be manifest by a 50% decrease in 1.) the number of RBC transfusions received in the first two weeks of life while in-line monitor is in use (primary hypothesis ) and 2.) phlebotomy loss in the first week of life (secondary hypothesis ).